2001 Jeep Wrangler Engine Problems

ANOTHER VICTIM OF THE 2000-2001 JEEP 4.0L CYLINDER HEAD CRACKING BETWEEN CYLINDERS 3 AND 4 ON THE CYLINDER HEAD. CRACKED HEAD HAS CAUSED MANY OTHER EXPENSIVE PROBLEMS THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE SUCH AS (COOLANT SYSTEM FAILURE, CRANKCASE BEARING FAILURES, OIL PUMP FAILURE, VALVE STEMS BEING WARPED, ETC.) AFTER EXTENSIVE RESEARCH AND BEING A PART OF MANY ONLINE POLLS THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A PROBLEM WITH JEEPS OF ALL MODELS THAT HAVE THE 4.0L INLINE 6 CYLINDER HEADS OF THESE YEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION WHEN CRACKED HEAD OCCURRED CAUSING THE ENGINE TO OVERHEAT AS WELL AS OIL PRESSURE TO DROP. ALSO CAUSED MALFUNCTION AND RUINED O2 SENSORS ON VEHICLE. THE CYLINDER HEADS IN THESE 2000-2001 JEEPS OF ALL MODELS ARE FAULTY AND IT IS OBVIOUS CAUSE JEEP CHANGED THE HEADS THE FOLLOWING YEAR IN 2002. THEY CLAIM THAT THESE HEADS ARE CRACKING DUE TO THE ENGINE OVERHEATING. THIS PARTICULAR JEEP HAS NEVER BEEN OVERHEATED IN ORDER FOR IT TO CAUSE THE CYLINDER HEAD TO CRACK. THEY ARE FAULTY.

NHTSA ID

10823503

Incident

Jan 31, 2016

Mileage

132,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 JEEP WRANGLER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ENGINE OVERHEATED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THE RADIATOR WAS REPLACED TWICE AND THE ENGINE SEAL WAS ALSO REPLACED HOWEVER, THE FAILURE WAS NOT CORRECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE MECHANIC, WHO DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE HEAD GASKET WAS CRACKED, CAUSING PISTONS 3 AND 4 TO FAIL. IN ADDITION, THE RADIATOR FLUID BEGAN TO DRAIN ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 136,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 148,000. ..UPDATED 11/28/12 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED THE ENGINE HEAD WAS CRACKED. UPDATED 12/03/12

NHTSA ID

10480195

Incident

Jul 1, 2011

Mileage

136,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 JEEP WRANGLER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO A SAFE LOCATION. THE CONTACT NOTICED THE ENGINE OVERHEATED AND THE RADIATOR RESERVOIR WAS EMPTY. THE CONTACT DISPENSED COOLANT INTO THE RESERVOIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE BLOWN HEAD GASKET. ONE WEEK AFTER THE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FURTHER REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE MALFUNCTION. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

NHTSA ID

10441011

Incident

Nov 18, 2009

Mileage

90,000 mi

I HAVE AN 01 JEEP TJ WRANGLER, I HAVE RECENTLY NOTICED A DROP IN PERFORMANCE ALONG WITH SLOWLY VANISHING COOLANT. SEVERAL DAYS AGO WHILE IN TRAFFIC, THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED LOW ENOUGH TO SET OFF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. AS SOON AS I BEGAN DRIVING AGAIN THE OIL PRESSURE RAISED HIGH ENOUGH TO TO CLEAR THE LIGHT. HOWEVER AS SOON AS I CAME TO THE NEXT LIGHT THE OIL PRESSURE DROPPED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN. UPON RETURNING HOME I LOOKED UP THE SYMPTOMS ON THE INTERNET AND IT ALL LED ME TO A VERY COMMON CRACKED HEAD BETWEEN THE 3-4 CYLINDER. I WAS ALL TOO SURPRISED TO FIND OUT HOW EXTREMELY COMMON THAT IS. *KB

NHTSA ID

10413826

Incident

Jul 15, 2011

Mileage

83,000 mi

2001 JEEP TJ, 40,000 MILES, SLOWLY LOSING COOLANT OVER THE COURSE OF 4 YRS. USED A PRESSURE TESTER AND VERIFIED NO EXTERNAL LEAKS. HOWEVER, USED THE SAME PRESSURE TESTER WITH ENGINE RUNNING, PER THE INSTRUCTIONS, AND THE SYSTEM GRADUALLY BUILT PRESSURE FROM 18 LBS TO 25 LBS BEFORE I STOPPED THE TEST. THIS INDICATES COOLANT LEAKING INTO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER. CURRENTLY MY OIL PRESSURE IS GOOD AND THERE IS NO COOLANT CONTAMINATION ON THE DIP STICK OR UNDER THE OIL FILL CAP. AT RISK (LONG TERM) IS THE INTERNAL ENGINE BEARINGS: CAM AND CRANKSHAFT. I FOUND A THREAD ON THE INTERNET THAT COVERS MANY JEEP TJ OWNERS WITH THE EXACT SAME PROBLEM OF COOLANT LOSS. THIS IS ALL DUE TO A BAD BATCH OF CYLINDER HEADS WITH CASTING # 0331, MANUFACTURED FROM 2000 THROUGH 2006. *TR

NHTSA ID

10329073

Incident

Jun 14, 2008

Mileage

25,000 mi

I BOUGHT THIS USED WITH ONLY 54,000 MILES ON THE ENGINE. WITHIN A YEAR AND AT 65,000 MILES, IT BEGAN OVERHEATING AND LEAKING COOLANT. MY BROTHER THOUGHT IT WAS A CRACKED HEAD OR GASKET. AFTER TEARING THE MOTOR APART AND SENDING THE HEAD TO BE CHECKED, TWO LARGE CRACKS WERE FOUND. THE CASTING # IS 331. MY BROTHER HAS BEEN TRYING TO FIND ANOTHER HEAD FOR ME AND WAS TOLD BY ONE OF THE SELLERS THAT HE CAN'T KEEP THE PARTS IN STOCK DUE TO THE HIGH NUMBER OF DEMAND FOR THIS PART. *TR

NHTSA ID

10270000

Incident

May 18, 2009

Mileage

65,000 mi

WE PURCHASED A 2001 JEEP WRANGLER ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO. BACK IN NOVEMBER, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO OVERHEAT. THINKING IT WAS THE HOSES OR RADIATOR CAP, WE REPLACED BOTH, WHICH STOPPED IT FOR AWHILE. IN DECEMBER, IT BEGAN TO LEAK AGAIN, SO WE REPLACED THE RADIATOR. IT IS NOW JANUARY AND IT HAS BEGUN TO LEAK AGAIN. WE HAVE ORDERED A NEW RADIATOR, BUT IT DOESN'T APPEAR THAT THE LEAK IS COMING FROM THE RADIATOR, AND AFTER READING SOME OF THE COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET REGARDING THE 2001 WRANGLER, WE ARE AFRAID IT MAY BE A CYLINDER HEAD. HAS THERE BEEN A RECALL ON THIS? THERE SEEMS TO BE A LOT OF COMPLAINTS RELATED TO IT' *TR

NHTSA ID

10256843

Incident

Nov 1, 2008

Mileage

85,000 mi

NEEDED TO REPLACE RADIATOR AFTER JUST 60,000 MILES. THEN STILL HAD PROBLEMS WITH RADIATOR FLUID LEAKING WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO FIND WHERE IT IS LEAKING. EVENTUALLY THE CYLINDER HEAD CRACKED AT 80,000 MILES. NOW IT NEEDS A NEW ENGINE COSTING ME $5,000. *TR

NHTSA ID

10248896

Incident

Nov 7, 2008

Mileage

82,000 mi

HAD VEHICLE FOR THREE YRS AND IN DECEMBER STARTED LOOSING COOLANT AND COULDN'T FIND THE LEAK. I TOOK IT TO JEEP AND TOLD THEM THE HEAD GASKET IS GOING . THEY SAID THEY WOULD CHECK IT OUT AND LATER TOLD ME IT WAS A AIRPOCKET. I PICKED IT UP AND RAN IT FOR ANOTHER WEEK, STILL LOSING FLUID. THIS HAPPENED OF AND ON FOR 3 TIMES. ON THE 3 TIME OF ME TAKING IT BACK THEY ADMITTED THE HEAD GASKET WAS SHOT AND THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE HEAD. I WENT TO TAKE IT HOME AND 1/2 WAY THERE MY ENGINE STARTED MAKING HORRIBLE NOISES AND JERKING. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND HAD IT TOWED BACK THE NEXT DAY. THEY THEN TOLD ME DUE TO COOLANT CONTAMINATION THE ENGINE WAS RUINED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED WITCH WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. I NOW HAVE 3410 MILES ON NEW ENGINE AND IT HAS STARTED MAKING NOISE. TOOK IT BACK TO JEEP AND THE WILL NOT COVER THE WARRANTY SAYING I HAVE WATER AND DIRT MARKS IN AIRBOX. THESE WERE IN THERE WHEN THEY FIRST REPLACED ENGINE AND I AM NOW SEEKING LEGAL COUNSEL. *TR

NHTSA ID

10235289

Incident

Jan 18, 2007

Mileage

79,898 mi

I BOUGHT THE VEHICLE IN MAY 07. 2001 JEEP WRANGLER SAHARA WITH 4.0L. @ MONTHS AFTER BUYING THE VEHICLE I LOST OIL PRESSURE. VEHICLE RETURNED TO DEALERSHIP AND THE OIL PUMP WAS REPLACED. LESS THAN 500 MILES I RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO SAID DEALER WITH A NASTY INTERNAL ENGINE RATTLE. DEALER REPLACED COLLAPSED LIFTER AND BENT PUSHROD. LESS THAN 100 MILES LATER VEHICLE RETURNED TO DEALER AGAIN WITH THE INTERNAL NOISE. VEHICLE TORN APART AND HAD THE CAMSHAFT, LIFTERS PUSHRODS REPLACED. IT HAS BEEN 7500 MILES SINCE MY LAST VISIT. I NOW HAVE A SLOW COOLANT LEAK THAT IS MAKING ITS WAY INTO THE OIL SYSTEM. I HAVE REMOVED THE CYLINDER HEAD AND FOUND A CRACK IN THE CASTING. THE CASTING # IS 0331. I HAVE SPENT NUMEROUS HOURS RESEARCHING THIS SPECIFIC CASTING # AND IT IS NOTORIOUS FOR CRACKING AND SLOWLY LEAKING COOLANT INTO THE OIL SYSTEM. MY JEEP ONLY HAS 71,000 MILES!! THIS IS AN ABSOLUTE LET DOWN AND HAS TARNISHED MY OUTLOOK ON CHRYSLER AND THE QUALITY OF THEIR PRODUCTS. THE TYPICAL LIFETIME FOR THESE HEADS IS BETWEEN 60-85,000 MILES. DO A SEARCH FOR JEEP 0331 ON GOOGLE, YOU'LL SEE THE OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF JEEP OWNERS WITH THIS PROBLEM. CHRYSLER NEEDS TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR LACK OF QUALITY AND MANUFACTURING AND SELLING A DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10221919

Incident

Mar 15, 2008

Mileage

71,000 mi

HOW DO YOU CONVINCE AN AUTOMAKER TO DO A RECALL? DO YOU HAVE TO FILE A CLASS ACTION SUIT? IF YOU GO OUT TO YOUR PARKING LOT AND LOOK AT ALMOST ANY JEEP WRANGLER, 4 CYLINDER ENGINE, YOU WILL SEE THAT THE FRONT BOLT FOR THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD IS BROKEN OFF. THIS WILL OFTEN LEAD TO EXHAUST LEAKS AND MAY CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO FAIL A SAFETY INSPECTION. THE HEAD MECHANIC AT THE JEEP DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT ALL WRANGLER 4 CYLINDERS DO THIS. HE WENT ON TO SAY THAT HE HAS DONE A HUNDRED OF THEM. THE DEALER SHIP WANTS HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS TO FIX THIS. I HAVE ASKED AROUND AT OTHER AUTO REPAIR SHOPS AND THE COST IS NOT THAT MUCH LESS. IF ALL WRANGLER 4 CYLS DO THIS, AND IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE, WHY ISN'T IT A RECALL ISSUE? MICA CALFEE FLOWER MOUND, TEXAS *TR

NHTSA ID

10198154

Incident

Feb 10, 2007

2001 JEEP WRANGLER HAS CORROSION IN THE ELECTRICAL BOX, AIR BAG IS CORRODED, PROBLEMS WITH THE WHEEL BEARINGS AND OIL LEAK.*MR ON THE DAY OF PURCHASING THE VEHICLE THERE WAS A BRAKE PROBLEM. THERE WAS A LEAK BEHIND THE PASSENGER SEAT WHICH CAUSED THE CORROSION. *JB

NHTSA ID

10119219

Incident

Sep 1, 2004

I BOUGHT MY WRANGLER IN OCTOBER 2000, WHICH WAS A NEW 2001. UP UNTIL THIS YEAR, 2004, I HAVE BEEN LOSING COOLANT FLUID FROM THE RESERVE BOTTLE. THE DEALERSHIP WHICH THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED, BILL DELUCA CHRYSLER, PLYMOUTH, JEEP, INC., IN HAVEHILL, MA, TESTED IT RIGHT THROUGH MY WARRANTY EXPIRATION. IT WAS NOT UNTIL I BROKE DOWN IN CT, WHERE ANOTHER JEEP DEALERSHIP, GEORGETOWN JEEP DEALERSHIP, TOLD ME ABOUT A DYE TEST SHOULD BE PERFORMED. WHEN I WENT BACK TO MY ORIGINAL DEALER, I HAD TO ARGUE WITH THEM TO PERFORM THE DYE TEST, BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO PRESSURIZE MY JEEP...AGAIN. WHEN THEY PERFORMED THE DYE TEST THEY FOUND THE HEAD GASKET LEAKING AND TOLD ME I HAD TO PAY FOR IT. EVENTUALLY, THROUGH COMPLAINING THE THIS PROBLEM SHOULD HAVE BEEN FOUND ON MY PREVIOUS VISITS BEFORE MY WARRANTY EXPIRED, THEY DID A "GOOD WILL" JOB. I STILL ENDED UP PAYING A GOOD PORTION. TWO MONTHS LATER MY ENGINE SEIZED AND IT WAS DESCRIBED, FROM DELUCA DEALERSHIP, AS A MAJOR ENGINE FAILURE AND I WOULD REQUIRE A NEW ENGINE. WHEN THEY BROUGHT THE PROBLEM TO THEIR CHYRSLER REP., THE PERSON TOLD THEM I ONLY NEEDED A SHORT BLOCK AND NOT THE FULL ENGINE. THOUGH I WAS TOLD I NEEDED A FULL ENGINE, I WAS ONLY GIVEN A SHORT BLOCK. I ASKED THE DEALERSHIP IF I STILL HAD FULL ENGINE WARRANTY AND I WAS TOLD YES. AS TIME WENT ON, I WAS STILL LOSING COOLANT. I EVENTUALLY MOVED TO ANOTHER STATE. WHEN I BROUGHT IT TO A NEW JEEP DEALERSHIP, GEORGETOWN JEEP, IN NORWALK , CT, THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING AT FIRST. I GAVE THEM THE OKAY TO DISMANTLE MY ENGINE TO LOOK DEEPER. WHAT THEY FOUND WAS A CRACK IN MY ENGINE. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS INSANE I DID NOT RECEIVE A FULL ENGINE. CHRYSLER AND DELUCA REFUSED TO PAY AND I ENDED UP PAYING $2000. I WAS TOLD THIS CRACK WAS THERE FOR QUITE A LONG TIME AND POSSIBLY UPON INCEPTION OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE WROTE TO CHRYSLER AND THEY STILL REFUSE TO HELP STANDING BY THEIR ORIGINAL WORD. CUSTOMER SERVICE WOULD NOT EVEN HELP ME AFTER REPEATEDLY CALLING. *JB

NHTSA ID

10064399

Incident

Oct 21, 2000

Mileage

42,000 mi

CAR HAS STALLED 4 TIMES IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. *AK

NHTSA ID

767352

Incident

Sep 1, 2002

WHILE DRIVING AT 65MPH ON FLAT SURFACE AND NO WARNING VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF, AND WILL BE HARD TO START BACK UP. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

NHTSA ID

8015635

Incident

Jul 26, 2002

CONSUMER STATES THE CAMSHAFT SENSOR IS BINDING AND BREAKING, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL. *YH

NHTSA ID

786016

Incident

Jun 3, 2002

VEHICLE WILL SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING AT ANY GIVEN TIME. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND LEFT THE VEHICLE THERE FOR A MONTH. DEALER COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER TOOK BACK VEHICLE, AND HAD NOT DROVE VEHICLE SINCE.*AK

NHTSA ID

8008153

Incident

Feb 1, 2002

THE ENGINE LIGHT HAS ILLUMINATED ON 6 OCCASIONS, ON THE 5TH OCCURENCE, CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A 1-LB PRESSURE LEAK BUT THERE WAS NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT, THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS RESET, HOWEVER THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AGAIN, NOW THE ENGINE IS RUNNING ROUGH.*JB

NHTSA ID

564744

THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT. CLAIM NUMBER 13-7491-024. *YH

NHTSA ID

6900784

Incident

Oct 1, 2001

WHILE TRAVELING AT OR ABOVE 40 MPH, ENGINE WILL STALL UNEXPECTEDLY, CAUSING A LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKING CONTROL. DEALERSHIP HAS EXAMINED VEHICLE AND DETERMINED TAT CAMSHAFT WAS FAULTY. THIS COMPONENT IS ON NATIONAL BACK ORDER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / ATTACHMENTS.*AK

NHTSA ID

899226

Incident

Nov 1, 2001

WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WITH THE ENGINE OFF, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE, POSSIBLY ENGINE RELATED.*JB

NHTSA ID

563527

Incident

Sep 1, 2001

THE SERVICE REP STATED THE PROBLEM ARISED FROM A CAMSHAFT SENSOR BINDING AND BREAKING. I WAS A LITTLE CONFUSED SO SHE SHOWED ME THE BROKEN PART. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED BECAUSE THE SIGNAL FROM THE SENSOR WAS LOST DO TO ITS SHAFT BINDING AND SOME OF THE FINS SNAPPED OFF. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN VERY DANGEROUS SINCE IT STALLED THE VEHICLE. IT COULD OF HAPPENNED ON THE INTERSTATE DURING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC 5 MINUTES EARLIER. DAIMLER/CHRYSLER DIDN'T SHARE MY CONCERNS AND STATED I HAD A WARRANTY. COPY OF MY COMPLAINT TO DAIMLER AND REPLY AVAILABLE BY E-MAIL.S. *AK

NHTSA ID

750238

Incident

Jul 22, 2001

VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED ON NUNE 25, AND ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON ON JUNE 26. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY SAID IT WAS A CATALYTIC CONVERTER PROBLEM, CONSUMER STATED THAT ON JUNE 28, ENGINE LIGHT CAME BACK ON. *AK

NHTSA ID

893142

Incident

Jun 25, 2001